Car-seal



Patented June 26, 1883,.

(No Model.)

W. SCHARNWEBER.

GAR SEAL.

` with; and my object is to produce, without UNITED vSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM SCHARNVEBER,OF JEFFERSON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FREDERICK K. BOWES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CAR-S EAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 280,086, dated June 26, 1883. Application filed August 26, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM ScHARNwEBER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jefferson, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seals for Cars, Mail-Bags, Snc.; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same. My invention relates to seals of the class designed to indicate, upon mere inspection, whether or not a freight-car, or whatever the seal may be used upon, has been tampered adding to the usual cost, amore effective device for this purpose than any heretofore in use.

Ehe device which I have invented belongs to the order of seals for the purpose named, which comprise astrip of frangible tin passed through the staple, and having its opposite ends interlocked in such a manner that any attempt to separate them will cause a fracture of the metal.

My invention consists in the particular construction which I give to the strip ot' frangible metal which constitutes the seal, as hereinafter fully explained.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan View of the blank constituting the seal 5 Fig. 2, a longitudinal section on the line 2 2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3, a central longitudinal section of the seal with the ends properly fastened together, and Figs. 4 and 5` enlarged detail views.

A is a strip of cheap frangible tin. To give it the requisite properties, I prefer to use the lowest grade. Near one end a head, c, is formed by cutting notches u in the edges of the strip. The opposite end is doubled over, as shown at t, and a hole, s, and sl'ot 'r formed through .both layers. Both the notches u and the opening r s are formed at a single blow by means of a suitable stamp.

To apply the device to a freight-car, the strip is passed through the staple over the hasp, the head c twisted to a position at right angles with the body of the strip A and passed through the opening r s, the neck between thc notches brought into the circular part s of the opening, the head twisted back to its original position, as represented in Fig. 5, and then bent fiat against the strip above the circulan opening, as shown in Fig. 3. The portion of the bent-over part lying below the neck is` then turned back over the head, as represented in Figs. 3 and 4, and it may, as represented in the former figure, be of sufficient length to extend over the top of the device and for some distance down the opposite side.

In order to unfasten the device, it is of course necessary to bend back the part t, since other; wise the head v is inaccessible; but owing to the frangible character of the metal employed, any attempt to do so will causeit to break off at the sides of the opening s. The inner face' of the part t may be provided with a coat, q, of bright-colored paintpreferably red-to form a contrast with the metal, and when the the seal is fastened in place, as represented in Fig. 3, with the doubled portion bent back over the top, this painted surface becomes exposed to view, and is readily discernible from a considerable distance. `The absence of this color would be a certain indication that the seal has been broken.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The strip A, of frangible metal, having notches u in its edges, forming a head, c, at one end, and having its opposite `end doubled over, and an opening comprising the circular apertures s and slot r formed through the doubled portion, the length of the part bent over being sufficient to allow it to be turned back over the head o when the latter has been passed through the opening and bent down, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

WILLIAM SCHARNVEBER. 

